Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences <\/em>and outlines their theory regarding magnetic perception. They propose that the magnetite crystals, which form inside specialised receptor cells of salmon and other animals, may have roots in ancient genetic systems that were developed by bacteria and passed to animals through evolution.<\/p>\nThis is based on new evidence collected from nanoscopic material found within cells inhabiting salmon noses. Bellinger explained: \u201cThe cells that contain magnetic material are very scarce. We weren\u2019t able to definitively prove magnetite as the underlying key to magnetic perception in animals, but our study revealed associated genes as an important tool to find new evidence of how potential magnetic sensors may function.<\/p>\n
\u201cFinding magnetic receptors is like trying to find a needle in haystack. This work paves the way to make the \u2018needle\u2019 glow really bright so we can find and understand receptor cells more easily.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael Banks, a fisheries genomics, conservation and behaviour professor at OSU commented: \u201cThe findings have the potential for widespread application, from improving salmon management through better understanding of how they use the ocean to targeted medical treatments based on magnetism.<\/p>\n
\u201cSalmon live a hard and fast life, going out to the ocean to specific areas to feed and then coming back to their original spawning grounds where they die. They don\u2019t have the opportunity to teach their offspring where to go, yet the offspring still somehow know where to go.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we can figure out the way animals such as salmon sense and orient, there\u2019s a lot of potential applications for helping to preserve the species, but also for human applications such as medicine or other orientation technology.\u201d<\/p>\n
Evolutionary component<\/h3>\n \u201cThe form in which magnetite appears, as tiny crystals inside specialized receptor cells, represents biomineralisation, or the process by which living organisms produce minerals. The similarity between magnetite crystals of bacteria and fish suggests that they share a common evolutionary genetic history,\u201d Bellinger said.<\/p>\n
Banks added: \u201cThe mechanism for developing magnets was developed by bacteria more than two billion years ago and then passed on to animals. Today, these tools to perceive magnetism continue to be present across a broad array of animal species.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe process for sharing them across animal life may have been similar to the evolution of mitochondria, which control how animals release energy. Mitochondria originated in bacteria and were then transferred to other organisms.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUnderstanding the evolutionary history of magnetite is a step toward further pinpointing the underlying process,\u201d the researchers concluded. Banks, Bellinger and colleagues aim to next test their new understanding and associated markers to further address the mystery of why and how some life forms have well-tuned tools for long and precise migratory strategies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Scientists committed a study, analysing the sensory mechanisms in salmon to understand exactly how magnetic perception works. Magnetic perception It\u2019s widely understood in the scientific community that salmon, and even butterflies and birds, have an innate magnetic sense, which allows them to use the Earth\u2019s magnetic field for navigation to places such as feeding and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":16913,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[766,24429],"tags":[700,3475,24180],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Study on salmon\u2019s noses reveals magnetic perception across life<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n